Declaration
by imthekeptainnow
Summary: Mitchell tries to show Annie that he cares, before it's too late. Set during Season 3. Annie/Mitchell. AU. Requested.


**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Requested by anon**

_**Beta'd by WithinHerHeart :)**_

* * *

Have you ever been in love? Not that kind of school yard love that can be forgotten in a few days. No, I mean the love that you may never recover from. The kind of love that hurts and aches and burns every waking moment. The kind that has you thinking, dreaming and wanting more than it was possible to receive. It's all-consuming and addictive and so much more than can ever be explained to someone who has never experienced it.

John Mitchell, in his extended life, had loved a handful of times and he'd always confronted it head on, whether it be friends or lovers. He'd never been afraid to take what he wanted; not in regards to love and lust anyway.

But this…this was so different. It put everything else he'd ever felt, on some days even the deep wrenching hunger, to shame and god, that terrified him.

Because this wasn't just anyone. He couldn't run and hide like he desperately wanted, because she'd only find him. Because this was Annie, and she knew him far too well to let him pretend that nothing is wrong, that nothing had changed.

Things have changed in so many ways. He knew that, no matter how hard he tried, his end was coming – "a wolf shaped bullet," Lia had said – and soon, Mitchell could tell, could feel it.

As the imminence of his death seemed to draw closer and closer, he knew only one for certain: he didn't want to go without Annie knowing that he loved her.

The only barrier he had was how.

Nothing seemed to fully display the magnitude of what he meant, or what he felt – flowers, a letter, chocolates she couldn't even eat – and words, he just seemed unable to form the right ones. Mitchell tried that before. "I can't live without you" just wasn't enough.

And then he found a way.

* * *

"Mitchell," Annie laughed, "Where are we going?"

She felt his laughter against the back of her neck, hot puffs of air even hotter against her cold skin. "You can keep asking, but I'm not going to tell you. A few more minutes, I promise."

Annie accepted the answer and bit her bottom lip around her smile. She was excited, had been since Mitchell had bounded towards her that morning to ask whether she was doing anything later. It had only increased when the vampire had come to her, blindfold in hand. Eyes covered, he'd led her to George's car – she wondered whether he actually knew that they were borrowing the vehicle – and they drove for five minutes (she had counted) towards the sea, which she had only been able to tell because of the salt in the air. Annie had pressed Mitchell about where they were going, hoping that he would eventually let a clue slip at least, but he was tight-lipped. He was almost like he enjoyed teasing her.

It made her happy to see Mitchell so relaxed.

Annie stumbled slightly over something she couldn't see and Mitchell's hands steadied her. "Careful," he murmured, "Just a few more steps…okay, here. Right here, stop."

She stilled automatically and waited.

Mitchell hesitated for only a moment, his nerves managing to grasp control briefly before he reigned them in, and gently unknotted the blindfold at the back of her head, letting it fall away to reveal her surprise – _a good one hopefully_, he wished.

Annie blinked slightly, adjusting to the drastic change, before she could finally take a good look at where she had been taken.

It was a cave, large and deep, with high ceilings. Stalactites hung dangerously from the ceiling, down to greet them, water droplets following the rivets in the rock before falling the length to the rocky floor. Beneath her feet, the ground was uneven and the dampness made everything slippery and, somewhere in the distance, she could hear the gentle trickling of running water.

She'd heard about places like this, places of natural beauty, hidden away for years and discovered by unexpected school children and explorers. Who knew there would be one in _Barry_?

Annie turned to Mitchell, who was standing a little way off, watching her closely. His expression was blank but she could tell automatically he was nervous. She smiled encouragingly.

"Where did you find this place?" she asked.

Mitchell shrugged, and dropped into his regular space on the floor, a little dip in the rocks. His arms wrapped loosely around his legs as they drew upwards towards his chest. "I just…stumbled upon it. I was, uh, looking for a place to just…get away, I guess. I've been a little…stressed lately…"

"Oh, I hadn't noticed," Annie commented dryly with an amused smile. She dropped into the space beside him, mimicking his position, and nudging his shoulder gently to show she was joking. Mitchell smiled weakly.

"It's very beautiful," Annie continued after a moment, eyes focused closely on the man beside her, "But why did you bring me here?"

"I…" Mitchell licked his lips nervously. This was it – the time for words, time for explanation. "Okay, so you said that you wanted all of me and I said that I wasn't going to give it to you…"

Annie's smile faltered slightly. Yes, she remembered that conversation vividly.

Mitchell continued on hurriedly, "And this is me, uh, giving you everything, if you still want it…"

For a while, Annie just gaped at him, as if she were having a hard time fully understanding what was being said to her, and Mitchell was beginning to think that maybe he was going to have to find a better way of explaining everything, a dreaded thought, when he found himself with his arms full of a ghost woman.

Lips pressed firmly against his own, a cold yet familiar and much welcomed touch that made him shiver and his hands clutch at her cardigan tightly. Her hands cupped his cheeks, as if to stop him moving away – like he would – and when she pulled away, she was beaming, her eyes sparkling wonderfully.

"Are you…do you mean…" she trailed off.

One hand rose upwards and clutched at her hand, moving to press a sweet kiss to the palm. Mitchell's gaze locked with hers, and he nodded seriously.

"I…want to share everything with you," he paused, wincing, "but the things that I've done, all the pain and the deaths…I want you to know, but I don't want to taint you with that."

"You don't have to tell me now," Annie said, as if to pacify his worries, "I'll be here."

Yes, but I may not be, he couldn't help but think. He didn't say anything though, just smiled and nodded.

When Annie drew him into a hug, she whispered carefully into his ear, "I want to share everything with you too."

She knew it wasn't exactly the "I love you" that she wanted to hear, that she was almost certain that he wanted to offer her, but this.

The closeness, the admittance, the offering.

It was enough.

For now, it was enough.


End file.
